


I Think of Arrows

by FoxyWolfMeerkat



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Canon Divergent, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-30
Updated: 2017-09-30
Packaged: 2019-01-07 09:45:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12230376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FoxyWolfMeerkat/pseuds/FoxyWolfMeerkat
Summary: Some men can't be brave.Luckily, plenty of people can be harsh and pushy.





	I Think of Arrows

He sat up slowly as he could, making sure the other man didn't wake as his movements shifted the bed. The rather ugly cotton blankets were hard to pull away from. Warm, and he wanted to believe safe but-  
As 'brave' as Hanhari fancied him the inevitable rejection in the morning wasn't something he could face. It had been wonderful (who knew the man had such a flithy mouth? Dorian Pavus did, thank you very much), before, during, and after. Now he was taking the reins because the Inquisitor couldn't be in charge of everything. Dorian could scarcely control his own heart but this? This he could do for himself. He could get dressed in the dark, he could leave without making a sound, he could fall back asleep in his own bed without feeling hollowed out because he'd gotten exactly what he'd expected without any dismissive words from such an incredible man. Maybe not what he wanted, but certainty what he'd expected.

\-----

Sera looked up as Mr. Inquizy-boots himself came in and... Didn't greet her at all actually, just stepped over to her cushy window seats and flopped down like a fish. He smelled like Dorian, and a good time and yet didn't look like he'd had one at all. "Hey you..." She sidled up next to him with a frown, "Why're you all dead?"

He took a deep, shaky breath before pushing his face into his hands. "...I... He didn't stay. ...It was just... I'm sorry Sera, I don't know why I-"

"Shut it and keep going." She scowled, pushing out her bottom lip and putting on the angriest eyebrows she could.

He looked to her, brief and blank, then rubbed his hands over his face again. "It seemed... Right, I think. I don't know what I could have done wrong." His hands dropped from his tattooed face and into his lap. "It was fun, and _so good_. Then after... I was comfortable and his hands were gentle-" Hanhari swallowed hard, eyes going glossy as he teared up. "I thought- ...Why, Sera? Why wouldn't he...?"

"That knob-sucking snake-shitting arse-fucker. I'm gonna make him eat his dumb fancy mustache!" Sera shot up, grabbing her bow and quiver and running off before the other elf could catch up with her mentally, let alone physically.

\-----

Dorian leaned on his left hand, trying to read and failing. All he could think about was the night prior. It was so troublesome! What about the Inquisitor ("You don't need to be so formal while we're in bed together you know.") had him so utterly infatuated?! He'd known stronger men, more handsome men. ...Not more powerful men however, not so personally. Was that it? Was he just denying a part of himself that was nothing but power-hungry? ...Han- No. The Inqui- No... The Herald was also kind to a fault. Rarely, rarely did he ever refuse to see another man's point or not try to understand him. Dorian could even recall a conversation where he'd said that even Corypheus 'was just a man once'. Was that it? Maybe both of them. It made the Herald quite easy to use after all- Even unintentionally!  
Dorian sat up a bit, freeing his left hand to pull out his birthright from under his clothes. He just held it. A gift almost thoughtlessly given. Against his direct request, the Herald had exercised his influence to fix a mistake Dorian had made in an attempt to... Please him? The Altus sighed softly. Even now he couldn't figure out what the elf's game was. Or had been. It was over-

"HEY TEVINTER, YOUR ASS IS GOT AN ARROW WITH IT'S NAME ON IT!" Sera flew up the stairs, sliding into view with said arrow already drawn. It didn't take long before it was drawn back to point at his head.

"Sera! Sera hold on!" He jumped up, reaching for his staff. The arrow that grazed his fingertips was enough for him to give up on it and throw his hands up in surrender. "I don't know what I did, but I swear-"

"You know what you did you slimy toad! Ugh, and he liked you and everything!" She pulled back harder on the bowstring-

"Sera, stop!" The Herald skidded into view while Dorian tried to digest her last sentence. He jumped to wrestle the weapon away from the taller elf while she spat out obscenities. Dorian jerked out of the way of a stray arrow as Leliana, Solas, and even Varric rushed into the fray as well. Eventually Hanhari managed to get Sera pulled back down the stairs with Solas' help and Dorian found himself being pulled up into the rookery by Leliana and Varric.  
"Alright Sparkler, dig through that librarian head of yours and let's figure out why Sera just tried to pin you to that nice chair of yours."

Dorian scoffed in disbelief, "Why are you two acting like this is my fault! I'm very clearly the victim here!"

"Simple," Leliana said, circling her short wooden desk to sit on the other side of it once again, "she said so. Sera is nothing if not blunt. Even if your intention wasn't to slight her or the Inquisitor, you've obviously managed to do so."

"I... I haven't done anything out of the ordinary." He slotted his hands together, quickly becoming very uncomfortable with the direction the conversation seemed to be going.

Leliana didn't look terribly sympathetic. "Haven't you? I got reports of you entering the Inquisitor's quarters yesterday. I was rather surprised when I woke up this morning to a report that you left his quarters alone very, very early in the morning. Well before dawn."

Varric groaned and winced, "Oh _shit,_ Sparkler. Please tell me you didn't walk out on him. Glowy is the _king_ of bleeding hearts and he's had a thing for you since the time travel shit. You'd rip him in half."

Dorian sighed softly, deciding to get familiar with some of the nearby masonry rather than look either of them in the eye. "I'm... well aware. But it really is better this way you see. The Herald is quite the public figure, and being seen with me-"

"Would probably make him happy. Maker forbid right? Have you seen how he looks at you sometimes? 'Cause I have, and the last faces I saw that puppy-eyed expression on are now married and everything."

 _Married._ Was Varric trying to give him a heart attack?  
"It'd never happen. It'd hurt longer to draw it out."

"For who? Him, or you?"

Dorian bit the inside of his cheek to keep from flinching. "...Both of us I suppose?"

"Is it really worth it, knowing what you're going to be missing out on?"  
Leliana had gone mercifully silent. Then again the dwarf's pestering and guilt tripping was probably impressive enough for the both of them. The Tevene man certainly thought so.

Dorian hissed softly, "Fine! As soon as we both have a moment I'll go and talk to him!" He looked back to the other with a pinched frown, "Does that please you, Ser Tethras?"

"Uh, yeah actually. Ten gold pieces says it'll please Glowy even more."

He hissed softly, "Oh keep your coin." Turning on a heel, Dorian fled down the stairs and headed for his personal quarters. He would need some sort of plan of attack after all. Since apparently no one had the good sense to let this all go.

\-----

Ultimately, his plan boiled down to 'get drunk, confront the Herald in his quarter's again, and hope to forget it all by the next dawn'. Simple. Less simple was arriving before the man had turned in for the day. Less simple was getting the fire started because he'd left all his doors open to the cold air. Less simple was occupying his time looking over the Herald's collection of books because the bastard was taking his sweet time getting up here. Less simple was the thought of getting to do this every day. Damn Varric and his... His nosiness? His interference? His encouragement?

"Fenedhis... Dorian..." The Herald hung back at the stairs, his tight grip on the railing looking like an anchor keeping him from turning around and darting away again. He was nearly crouching behind the banister, all nerves and....

"So... I'm under the impression that yesterday wasn't the end of it?" Irritation at everyone's pestering crawled up his throat alongside the words. Tinting them with a hint of anger that made the elf wince.

"...If you don't want to be here... I won't make you do anything you don't want to Dorian. You don't owe me anything. I'm... sorry. I'm sorry if I made you feel as though you had to do anything with me."

"What?" The alcohol was now very much in the way. Why would he be sorry? He'd been... incredible. Still was but- He felt his brows scrunch. "What... exactly do you think is happening here?"

"I... I'm still not entirely sure but it seems... Are you drunk?" He pulled himself up the last few steps, looking over the mage with his brilliant red eyes.

Dorian swallowed as he started crossing the room with a gentle worried frown on his face. "Answering a question with a question? I thought you found that uncouth?" He looked away from Hanhari's well-meaning, but ever intense gaze.

"...Right. ...I may be entirely wrong, but I'm under the impression that I pressured you into... Into having sex with me? I can't tell if that's better or worse than the alternative..."

"Ha. No, you certainly didn't pressure me into anything. Least of all in that regard. What is the alternative?" He looked back, even if it made him feel as though some invisible force was pressing down on the front of his neck. Ready to choke. Ready to break.  
The silence between them was thick too. Hanhari looked away from the other, shoulders pulling tight and Dorian could see him trying to swallow down pain. It wasn't working very well. "Oh. I... That wasn't my intention either. ...Where would you want this to go?"

Hanhari frowned, "What do you want?"

He threw up his hands, tisking the other. "Never mind me for a moment- just a moment. I want your honest answer. If you're still willing to give it at this point: I wouldn't blame you if you weren't."

"Sastmahn... Anywhere as long as it's with you. ...I don't know what's going to happen anymore than anyone else, but I do know what... ...I want to be with you. For however long you'll have me. If that's just for one night then... I'll manage."

"But you do want more than one night." Dorian should have felt ecstatic, but it was just a bit too strange an idea just yet.

"Much more." Hanhari's hands had dug into his coat, but he kept still and kept his eyes level with Dorian's. Brave.

"Then... I suppose you... we, can have... more. If you're truly certain."

"I am... Are you?" He came around his desk, giving Dorian a great deal of time to back away as he reached up to stroke his cheek. "I don't want this to be... I don't want you to- I don't want to use you, and in return-"

"I want to stay," he spat it out like it burned, grabbing the hand on his face. "I only... worry for your sake. We aren't terribly compatible. A Dalish elf and a Tevinter Altus-"

Warm lips shut the other mage up, "I'm inclined to disagree."

"And what of your reputation-?"

Another, harder kiss. "Our happiness is more important than my reputation. The people will learn. And if they can't, I didn't want them that badly anyway."

"...You're ridiculous." Dorian grabbed for the other, pulling him close as they kissed again. It was needy, but relatively chaste.

Hanhari hushed him when they broke apart, "...Please stay? No sex just... lie with me?"

"Very ridiculous... How can I refuse?"

"Easily. It's just two letters."

"Oh it is so much more than that... You have no idea."

Hanhari pursed his lips, "It's not the alcohol, is it?"

Chuckles wracked his frame as he shook his head. Maker, preserve this man... Gingerly, he started pushing the redhead back towards his bed. It'd be a long night. A... safe one. Maybe.


End file.
